Means for connecting vending-machines to meters.



. Patented D60. II, I900. W. WEBBER. MEANS FOR CONNECTING VENDINGMACHINES T0 METERS. (A pplication filed m 2, 1900. (No Model.)

m mflmiln,

v um I IIIIMIWHI H O 4? h """1 ML 10 9 I ia/67a 07;

WESLEY WEBBER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEANS FOR CONNECTING VENDING-MACHINES TO METERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 663,823, datedDecember 11, 1900. Application filed July 2, 1900. Serial No 22,318..llo model-J To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WESLEY WEBBER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of No. 6 Wall street, in the borough of Manhattan, in the cityof New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means of ConnectingVending-Machines to Meters, of which the following is a specification.

In providing coin -controlled gas-vending machines for universalapplication to readymade gas-meters, whether of thesame or differentmakes, there are certain distances or measurements which the gas vendingmachine must accommodate itself to in each meter which are not constantthroughout meters as made by various manufacturers or even throughoutmeters of the same makefor instance,the vertical distance between thetop of the inlet-port of the meter and the axis of the two-foot shaft'01 proving-head axle of the meter-index and the horizontal distancesbetween the two-foot shaft and the side of the meter and between theaxis of the inlet-pipe and the front of the meter.

In order to transmit motion from the registering mechanism of the meterproper to the counting and valve-closing mechanism of thevending-machine, it is difficult and expensive to aline a fixed bearingin meters of various makes having varying distances and dimensions witha fixed bearing in a standard-made vending-machine.

In my pending application for a United States patent, Serial No.729,580, filed September 6, 1899, and in my United States Patents Nos.591,514 and 591,515, issued October 12, 1897, I have illustrated severalmethods of making an easily-adjustable connection between the metermechanism and the vending mechanism,which is shown in Figures 1,2,and

11 of said pending application and in Fig.16 of said Patent No. 591,514and in Figs. 2 and 23 of said Patent No. 591,515. Forinstance, in one ofsaid devices the oscillation of the flag-arm of the meter is utilized tointermittently rotate a ratchet-wheel journaled in the vending mechanismor in the side of the meter. The

center of this ratchet-wheel is located by and in sole reference to theconstructionbf the Vending mechanism, and the variations in distancebetween the actuating-pawl 0f the ratchet-wheel and the flag-arm areeasily ad justed forin the various constructions shown; but to adjustthis very adjustment so that each oscillation of the flag-arm shall makeone tooth of the ratchet-wheel, no more and no less, requires somenicety and accuracy of manipulation on the part of the mechanic in theoperation of attaching the vending mechanism to the meter, to obviatewhichnecessity I prefer to employ a wheel that shall be in continuousgear with some rotating part of the meter proper. To do this calls for abearing located in the meter and with reference to the dimensions anddistances of both the meter and the vending-machine. I meet this demandby employing a swinging journal-bearing frame adapted to be adj ustablylocated in the meter, in which frame is journaled a telescopic shaft orshaft of adjustable length, which shaft is provided with a flexible oruniversal joint. The adjustable location of this frame, the freedom ofthe shaft to take off at any angle to its actuating part, and theadjustable length of the shaft enable the mechanic in performing thelabor of attaching the machine to a ready-made meter to meet with ease,simplicity, and economy the varying conditions imposed by the varying.

dimensions and distances of the various meters to which it may bedesired to affix the vending-machine and enable all the attaching orconnecting parts to be made of standard patterns and sizes.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specificationand to which reference is hereby made, Fig. 1 is a plan view of theattic of an ordinary dry gas-meter with the top removed, showing in planand sectional plan one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a detailelevation of the two-foot shaft and parts connected thereto and thewormwheel viewed in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isanother detail elevation of the same seen from the front of the meter--2'. 6., in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 showing the index ortwo-foot shaft of the meter in section on the line as m of Fig. 2 andshowing the construction and action of the swinging bearing,counter-shaft, and universal joint. Figs. 41 and 5 are detailelevations, the former viewed in the direction of the araperturedbrackets 9 9", and 9.

row shown in Fig. l and the latter in the direction of the arrow shownin Fig. et-i. e., from the front of the meter-of a modification of meansof transmitting motion from the index-shaft of the meter to the vendingmechanism, Fig. 5 showing the index-shaft in section on the line L; y ofFig. 4c; and Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the modification of theuniversal joint.

In the drawings, 2 represents the indexshaft, two-foot shaft, orproving-head axle of the ordinary dry'gas-meter, which, as meters arecommonly constructed, is journaled at one end in a flexible bracket 3and slotted at the opposite end to connect with a shaft of theindex-train in the usual way. It is rotated by the king-post worm 4,which meshes with the gear-wheel 5, secured on the shaft. Upon thisshaft is placed a worm 6, formed as a part of the hollow sleeve 7 andheld in place by set-screw 8. There is also placed upon this shaft aframe 9, provided with three The brackets 9 and 9 span the worm 6 andits tubular sleeve 7 and loosely support the frame upon the two-footshaft 2. the journal or bearing for one end of a counter-shaft 10, towhich is connected a wormgear 12, which meshes with the worm 6. It willbe noticed from Fig. 3 that the bracket 9 is held in approximatelyvertical position by the counter-shaft 10, and being offset from and itsplane being parallel to the axis of shaft 2 the counter-shaft 10, whilealways at right angles to shaft 2, may transmit motion from shaft 2 atany angle to the horizontal gear-wheel12, remaining always in mesh withworm 6.

The counter-shaft 10 is connected to the actuating-shaft 13 of thevending-machine by a universal or flexible joint 14. In the form shownin Fig. 1 this flexible joint comprises three sections 15, 16, and 17,the two outer sections 15 and 17 of which telescope, respectively, withthe inner end of shaft 13 and the outer end of counter-shaft 10,suitable set screws or nuts being provided to fasten them in properadjustment. The central section 16 is a link with a pivot at each end,the pivots being at right angles to each other, as shown in Fig. 1. Thecentral section 16, however, need not be used unless the slant of thecounter-shaft 10 is excessive, as, perhaps, in

meters of very large size, where the vertical distance from the centerof shaft 13 to the center of wheel 12 would be great. In the metersordinarily used in domestic consumption of gas the simpler and lessexpensive form of joint (shown in Figs. 3 and 6) may be employed.

18 of section 17 is of such width relatively to the tongue 19 of thesection 15 that when the single pin or pivot employed is approximatelyvertical, as shown in Fig. 3, there will be no friction or bindingbetween the tongue 19 and either side of the notch 18.

In Figs. 4; and 5 I have shown a modifica- The bracket 9 forms In thissimpler form the notch ceases one revolution of the counter-shaft 10will represent only'two feet, and by doubling the number of teeth on oneor the other of the two gear-wheels may represent one or four feet. Thuswithout changing the gear or general plan of the vending-machine astandard machine may be employed for delivering gas in exchange forcoins ofdifferent denomina tions.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the frame 9 is not provided with thebracket 9; but the counter-shaft 10 is journaled in an aperture at thecenter of the frame and is provided with a counter gear-wheel 20, heldin mesh at right angles with another gearwheel 21, which is mounted upona tubular boss or sleeve 22, which is secured by a setscrew to thetwo-foot shaft 2. The frame 9 while loose on the shaft 2 is held fromsliding too far in one direction by the boss 22 and in the otherdirection by the contact of wheel with wheel 21.

The aperture 23 for the stuffing-box in the side of the meter is made acertain and constant distance below and to the front of the top of theinlet-port 24 of the meter, and its position is determined solely withreference to the standard construction of the vendingmachine. No matterwhat the elevation of the top of the inlet-port 2; above the two-foot Ishaft 2 may be its variations in various meters are taken up by thevarying angle assumed by the flexible joint and the varying angles ofthe swinging frame 9 and countershaft 10 to the horizontal. zontaldistances between the stuffing-box 25 and the two-foot shaft are allowedfor by the telescoping of shafts 13 and 10 in the tubular sections ofthe flexible connection 14 before. fixing the shafts 13 and 10 in thesections with the set screws or nuts. The varying horizontal distancesbetween the shaft 13 and the front of the meter are allowed for byadjusting the frame 9 and its contained worm or gear wheel, as the casemay be, along the twogas-vending mechanism to meters and the reg-'istering mechanism thereof, in combination with the actuating-shaft ofthe index of the meter and the driving-shaft of the vending The varyinghori- 'machine, a swinging frame adjustable upon the meter-index shaft,and adjustable transmit-ting-gear applied to said shaft, a countershaftgeared to said transmitting-gear and journaled in said swinging frame,and a flexible joint connecting said counter-shaft with mitting-gearapplied to said shaft, a countershaft geared to said transmitting-gearand journaled in said swinging frame, and a longitudinally-adjustableflexible joint connecting said counter-shaft with the driving-shaft ofthe Vending-machine substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 30th day of June, A. D. 1900.

WESLEY WEBBER.

Witnesses:

LEWIS S. BUROHARD, EMILE RIESER.

